ponedjeljak, 25. studenoga 2013.

Old Splendifolia - Swaying Boldly Afar (2008)

Old Splendifolia is the folk-pop collaborative project of Morr Music stalwart F.S. Blumm and Jana Plewa, both natives of good old Deutschland, but fortunately speaking the international language of... English, on these fine and splendid folk compositions. Blumm handles the production and makes his instrumental presence felt (even roping in a few pals, including his Sack Und Blumm cohort, Harald 'Sack' Ziegler) while Plewa sings sweetly, albeit through a network of quirky mannerisms. Far from being a customary, pared down acoustic affair, Swaying Boldly Afar is expansive in its arrangements, transcending its folksy blueprint on interludes like the lovely, and rather elegiac 'End Mid', then weaving subtle, clockwork drum loops into the mix on 'Contch'. There's a bit of a Joanna Newsom feel to 'Arone Roseneck', and that goes deeper than the kook-fest vocals of Ms. Plewa; the fingerpicked guitar is fulsome and warm as if it were a harp, and gently rising orchestrations swell eloquently in the background. Very nice indeed. - boomkatOld Splendifolia is an adventurous folk project by two talented German artists, Frank Schultge (F.S. Blumm), in charge of sound production, and Jana Plewa (The Kat Cosm) on vocals. Together, they produce heavenly, pleasant folk music, as natural and pure as they can get. All of the sounds including acoustic guitars, cello, bass-clarinet, French horn, drums and vocals are laid out very thoughtfully, showing how minimal production can enhance the quality of the songwriting. "Old Splendifolia" also refers to the first plant on earth, which releases special sounds and thoughts that these two artists have transcribed through their music. A finicky job indeed. The two artists both had a vision of Old Splendifolia, at first swaying softly, then more boldly to the sounds of its old-growth site. Jana Plewa finally hummed and sang out loud. Blumm's sounds and tones all immediately blended together, becoming inseparable, and Plewa gave shape to words that have an almost identical phonetic contour as the sketched sound-patterns. These tales tell of the adventures and observations during the search for the primeval Chief Leaf. Jana Plewa's vocals recall the home-grown scratchiness of Joanna Newsom, and, matched with random effects, plinked stringed instruments, and humming toy organs, evoke the child-like simplicity of Cocorosie, but with more structure and more tangible, sunshiney appeal.
-www.forcedexposure.com/Utterly Heartbreaking EPfreemusicarchive.org/music/Old_Splendifolia/

Flatform - Quantum + Trento Symphonia + Movements of an Impossible Time + A Place to Come + Can Not Be Anything Against the Wind + 57.600 Seconds of Invisible Night and Light + Sunday 6th April, 11:42 a.m. + About zero + With Nature There Are no Special Effects, Only Consequences (f)

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Thomas Adès - The Twenty-Fifth Hour (m)

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Dobrinka Tabakova - String Paths (m)

Jacek Sienkiewicz - Nomatter (m)

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DIALECT - Gowanus Drifts (m)

Robert Enrico - Au coeur de la vie (f)

Kara-lis Coverdale & LXV - Sirens (m)

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Mempo Giardinelli - Sultry Moon (b)

Jean-Marie Straub - Dialogue d'ombres (f)

Klaus Hoffer - Among the Bieresch (b)

Maxim Biller - U glavi Brune Schulza (b)

Svend Åge Madsen - Days with Diam + Virtue & Vice in the Middle Time (b)